Piercer



`T. F. KEYS PIERCER Patented Dec. 4, 1945 UNITED j STATES 4PATENT OFFICE PIERCER. t.

Theodore F. KeysyJeannette, Pa. Appiicanon March 19, 1944, serial No. 526,224 claims. (ci. 16s-.119)

This invention relates to adjustable devices of general application for piercing light metals, cloth and the like or for forming' openings in cans and boxes, or in the covers of jars, in which liquids or powdered materials are packaged.

. It usually is desirable to provide an air'- vent as well as a pouring opening in cans containing such liquids as. condensed or evaporated' milk, fruit l juices or beer, and to provide'several openings l pered Piercing elements and gage sleeves that are adjustable to one end position to sheath the pointV to prevent injury or to a desired position along the pointed piercing elements to determine the size of the perforation that is to be made. More specifically, objects are to provide a piercing device having a combined gage and guard sleeve that Vis adjustable along the shaft of the tapered piercing element and is secured, either positively or impositively, against detachment from the piercing element.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following specification when taken with the accompanying drawing in which:

Fig. 1 is an elevation, with parts in section,

of an adjustable piercer embodying the invention,

the gage sleeve being adjusted to form afrelatively small size opening;

Fig. 2-is a similar elevation illustrating -the gage sleeve adjusted for' the formation of the maximum size opening;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view, on an enlarged scale, showing the gage sleeve adjusted to end .position to shield the punch tip of the piercing element;

vice and in retracted or unlocking condition, respectively.

In the embodiment of the invention that-is illustrated in Figs.V l to 3, the shaft of the piercing element includes a threaded section I that is4 f separated from the relatively long conical point 2 by a short unthreaded section 3. A handle 4 at the opposite end of the shaft is preferably of a translucent or colored thermo-setting or thermoplastic vmaterial that may be threaded and screwed on, or molded directly upon or cemented to the shaft. The portion l of the shaft within the handle is of non-circular cross-section to obtain a strong mechanical bond, and, preferably,

the shaft comprises a cylindrical rod of steel or other hard metal that is threaded from one end towards the conical point to produce 'the noncircular portlonl that is embedded in the handle and the threaded portion I. Longitudinal grooves 5 may be cut in the threaded section l' to lock the handle 4 against removal from the shaft. The handle 4 is a body of revolution with a small ilat surface 4a at its outer end and a shoulder 4b that flares from the inwardly tapering portion to provide a seat for the thumb and first linger of the hand in which the handle is held. A- gage sleeve 6 is'screwed upon the shaft before the handle is attached. A relatively large diameter counterbore 'l at theouter end of the sleeve 6 clears the unthreaded shaft portion 3 and permits the sleeve to be turned down on the shaft to serve as a guard sheath forv the sharp point of the conical perforating portion 2. The relatively short threaded section 8 of the sleeve cannot pass the unthreaded portion 3 of the shaft. and the sleeve B is therefore positively retained against removal from the shaft as soon as the handle 4 is xed to the shaft. A part 9 of the outer surface of the sleeve is knurled or otherwise roughed to afford a good friction grip for` turning the sleeve threads- 8 down tightly on the end of the threaded shaft section I. The sleeve is thereby frctionally anchored against inadvertent rotation and there is no possibility of damage to the sharp point or from the sharp point when the device is not in use.

Figs. 4 and 5 are elevations, with parts in section, of another embodiment of the invention; the gage sleeve being illustrated in its respective end positions in the views; and

Figs. 6 and 7 are transverse sections on an enlarged scale showing the spring connector element in normal position locking the sleeve against movement towards the handle of the piercing de- The methods of adjusting and using the piercing tool will be apparent from the foregoing de-y scription. The size of the punched opening del pends upon the adjustment of the sleeve 6 along .the threaded shaft l. Adjustments forpunching a small vent opening and a large pouring opening in a. can Il) are shown in Figs. 1 and 2 respectively.

The size of the opening may be varied progressively from small pin point size to the maximum size, and the exact size that the operator desires maybe obtained for a single opening or a large number of openings. It is convenient to use it stock for the shaft of a piercing device for household use but it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to any particular size. The relatively long conical point can be pressed into a can or metal top by a comparatively small force but the particular cone angle is not critical. A taper or cone angle of ,from about 14 to 20 will be quite satisfactory and, in the illustrated embodiments, the angle is about 16 30'.

Ihe embodiment illustrated in Figs. e to?! provides a step-by-step adjustment of the size of the -fpierced openings and, for many purposes, this limitation to a selection 'from some six to eight sizes is quite satisfactory. The conical point I2 and handle M may be' and preferably are substantially identical withthe parts previously described. A narrow stop groove I3 is cut in theshaft above the point I2 and a number of circumferential grooves II, with radial upper surfaces and outwardly flaring lower surfaces, are

l cut in the main body of the shaft for cooperation vwith a stop spring I5 carried by the gage-sleeve and point shield I6. The' spring I5 is of generally U-shape with inwardly bent legs that seat within diametrical slots Il cut through the wall of the sleeve I6. The intermediate portions of the spring legs normally extend into the interior of the sleeve I6 for engagement with the upper radial walls of the grooves I I or to seat within the narrow stop groove I3. The spring I5 may be pressed inwardly, as shown in Fig. '7, .to move the spring legs outof the bore of the sleeve I6 as the flared ends of the spring are spreadby engagement with the inner walls of the slots il.

The sleeve I6 may be moved upwardly, into the position shown in Fig. 4,v when the spring I5 is pressed inwardly. This .corresponds to adjustment of the gage sleeve for the maximum size opening. The sleeve may then be pressedA downwardly into the desired adjustment, the spring I5 being spread by engagement with the lower sloping surfaces ofthe grooves Il.. will not be inadvertently stripped from the shaft during this adjustment towards smaller size perforationsas the legs of the spring the stop groovev I 3 when the lower end of the sheath I 8 is somewhat below the tip of the conical punch section I2. The sleeve I6 may be removed from. the shaft by pressing the spring I5 inwardly to clear the stop 'slot I3 but this removal is obtained only by a deliberate manipulation of the spring I5.

The locking ofthe adjustable sleeve to the shaft of the piercing device is an important feature of the invention as the practical value of small shop and household devices depends upon their immediate availability foruse when needed. The gage sleeve cannotbe removed from' the shaft in the first form of the invention and there is b'ut little likelihood that the sleeve will be lost from the modified construction.

Iclaim:

1. A piercing tool comprising a unitary shaft having a conical a relatively short cylindrical section adjacent said The sleeve.

I6 snap into radial upper surfaces and outwardly flaring lower v point section at one end thereof,

conical section, a shank section adjacent said cylindrical section and a handle section at the other end of the shaft, the diameter of said cylindrical section being at least equal to the diameter linclrical section and said' conical section, cooperative means on said shank section and said gage sleeve for positioning said gage sleeve lon-- gitudinally of said shaft and means adjacent said conical section for impositively securing said sleeve in position with its counterbored end extending over said conical section.

2. A piercing device comprising a unitary shaft having a conical point section at one end thereof, a handle section at the other end thereof, a shank section extending between said conical section and said handle section, screw threads extending alongv said shank section and terminating in thread endings adjacent said conical section, a handle secured to said handle section, a gage sleeve internally screw threaded at one end to run on the screw thread on said shank section and counterbored at the other end to pass over said conical section, said handle and said conical section constituting stops limiting the movement of the gage sleeve along the shaft, and said screw thread endings on said shank section serving impositively tosecure said gage sleeve at the end of its travel along the shank section.

3. A piercing tool comprising a shaft terminating at one end in a conical point section, the shaft being threaded from a point spaced from the conical point section to its other end, a handle of plastic material molded upon the threaded end of the shaft,'a gage sleeve having internalthreads at its inner end for threaded engagement with the threaded section of the shaft and counterbored from its outer end to clear the unthreaded shaft section, the length of the counterbore being somewhat greater than the combined length of the unthreaded and the connai point 'sections ofi the shaft.

4. A piercing tool comprising a shaft terminating at one end in a conical point section, a handie secured to the other end of the shaft, a gage sleeve adjustable axially of the shaft, a plurality of circumferential grooves in said shaft having surfacesa spring having ends seated in diametrical slots of said sleeve and projecting into the.

bore thereof to cooperate with the radial surfaces of said grooves, and a, narrow stop slot for recceiving the ends oi said spring on adjustment of the sleeve to anfend position in which it extends below and sheaths the tip of said conical point y section.

5. A piercing tool as recited in claim 1, wherein said spring is of generally U-shape with inwardly bent legs terminating in outwardly flared ends engaging the walls of the slots in the sleeve, whereby the inwardly bent portions of the` spring legs are moved outwardly to'clear the bore of the sleeve when the base of the spring is pressed 'towards the sleeve. 'I'HEODORE F. KEYS.

CERTIFICATE 0F C'oRRECTIoN.. l Patent No. 2,590,509. v Degemher LL, 19u5.

' f TrIEoDoRE F. ms.

It .is hereby certified that error. appears in the printed specification of theuabove numbered patent requiring oorrectionfaa follows: Page, sec:-

ond eoIumn, line 60, claim 5, for 'the claim reference numeral "1 `read l|; and that the 'said Letters Patent should be 'read with this correcton therel that the samema'y conformi to the record of the case in the Patentoffice. f Y signes an@ sealed 'this 12th day of February, A. D. 19M). Y

Leslie Frazer (SGB-1) First Assistat Commissioner of Patents. 

